A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INVITATION EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE FROM A CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the expressions of invitations in English and Vietnamese from the perspectives of linguistics and intercultural communication. The author employed a qualitative method, utilizing data collection tools including two open-ended survey questionnaires with the same content and number of questions for two participant groups: native English speakers and native Vietnamese. To ensure more reliable and effective survey results, personal observations were implemented during the data collection process. The findings revealed the notable similarities and differences in how invitations were expressed between the two languages. Additionally, the author discussed the cultural factors that influence these similarities and differences. This paper is presented in the hope of providing useful references and suggestions in expressing invitations in both English and Vietnamese to become better communicators.